It’s probably happened to you at least once, you’re watching TV and suddenly a random advert for Google Home comes up and next thing you know your Google Home is lighting up and responding. Well, there’s a way to tell Google and hopefully get it to stop.
The issue has been brought to light in the UK where electronics retailer Curry’s PC World has been playing a Christmas campaign for Google Home which has been getting users Google Home to play Christmas music and perform other functions, often late at night when it’s inappropriate. In response to a tweet about the behaviour, the @MadebyGoogle gave this piece of advice
Hey Pam, thanks for the tweet. We're already looking into this, but if this happens again could you file feedback with the keywords "Home Ad Triggered"? Here's how: https://t.co/TrLDg33QkB
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) November 4, 2018
It’s not going to catch the random words that make Google Home light up, but if you find there’s one ad consistently lighting up your Google Home, use the Feedback command and specify Home Ad triggered.
I don’t want to give telemarketers a leg up on anything, but if no one answers the phone and it goes to your answering machine, I can only imagine the carnage they could hand out if they wanted to.
But as soon as the units recognise its an advertisement it stops… I’m not sure what the big deal is?
The big deal is they’re literally not recognising them as an advert which is why Google wants the feedback reported.
The only problem for me is the fact that the Google home add itself keeps triggering my three minis.
Surely if Google were paying attention they should be able to spot hundreds of Google Homes all triggered at exactly the same time, and with exactly the same command phrase? Then they could automatically take no notice without anyone having to do a thing?